La Mesan Willie O’Ree never led the National Hockey League in scoring but he dazzled a legion of fans with his speed for the original San Diego Gulls in the Western Hockey League.
Both the original Gulls (1966-74) and the WHL (1952-74) are long gone but O’Ree’s legacy lives on nearly 70 years later.
In fact, he’s become a celebrated hero.
When O’Ree stepped onto the ice against the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 18, 1958, he became the first black man to play in the NHL. Like Jackie Robinson in professional baseball, O’Ree opened the door for players of color in pro hockey.
It was a trickle at first but diversity in the NHL has since exploded with players of all nationalities from around the world. Minor league hockey is no exception.
In what is believed to be a first in the American Hockey League, three black players from the Gulls combined on a goal last season in a March 28 game against the Tucson Roadrunners. The Gulls won the game 5-1 in a heated playoff race.
Justin Bailey tipped in a third period shot from defenseman Tyson Hinds, who had received a pass from teammate Noah Warren.
After the game, the three players knew they had accomplished something rare, and felt special about it.
And still do.
The feat, which reflects hockey’s growing diversity, has been accomplished three times in the NHL, all three with the Atlanta Thrashers in 2010 with Evander Kane as the catalyst with two goals and an assist.
Kane and the Gulls’ history-making trio would not have had a chance to shine on the ice if it wasn’t for O’Ree, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018 in the builder’s category, had his jersey retired by the Boston Bruins in 2022 and is set to receive the Congressional Gold Medal at the U.S. Capitol later this month.
O’Ree is the first NHL player to receive the highest honor bestowed by Congress.
The Gulls honored O’Ree’s pioneering legacy by hosting the “Night to Celebrate a Legend” on Oct. 7 at the Rooftop Cinema Club Embarcadero atop the Manchester Grand Hyatt.
The event, which was attended by all Gulls players and coaching staff, featured a panel discussion on O’Ree’s enduring impact on hockey and a film screening of “Willie,” a 2019 documentary following O’Ree’s life from his roots in New Brunswick, Canada, to his induction into the Hall of Fame.
O’Ree, of course, was the center of attention as he received a gold-plated hockey stick inscribed with his trademark phrase — “If you think you can, you can, and if you think you can’t, you’re right” — he used to inspire more than 130,000 youths during more than two decades serving as an ambassador as part of the NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone initiative.
Bailey, a Buffalo native, had met O’Ree on prior occasions — once as a 14-year-old at a camp hosted by Dominick Hasek for underprivileged children and then again in 2013 when he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the second round (52nd overall) in the NHL Draft. Now with the Gulls, the 30-year-old forward with 141 NHL games to his own credit has had a chance to interact with Mr. San Diego Hockey on a more regular basis and develop a better understanding of what O’Ree accomplished.
“It’s been a constant reminder of what someone, a lot of people, had to go through for me to get this opportunity, for kids to get this opportunity,” Bailey said. “It’s an unbelievabe story. He’s been a role model for me since I was 13 or 14.”
Hinds (third round, 2021, 76th overall) and Warren (second round, 2022, 42nd overall) are both draft picks by the NHL parent Anaheim Ducks.
Coincidently, the AHL is celebrating its 90th anniversary this season and the Gulls head into Saturday’s home opener at Pechanga Arena with a 1-0 record following last Friday’s 5-0 shutout win in Coachella Valley.
